


Choclime Twist

by inquisitor_tohru



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Defecting from the First Order, Escaping Together, F/M, Holding Hands, Huddling For Warmth, Hypothermia, Little Black Dress Exchange 2020, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, References to Torture, Stranded
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:20:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24628450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inquisitor_tohru/pseuds/inquisitor_tohru
Summary: When Rose Tico ended up in First Order custody for a second time, Dopheld Mitaka saw an opportunity.
Relationships: Dopheld Mitaka/Rose Tico
Comments: 8
Kudos: 8
Collections: Little Black Dress Exchange 2020





	Choclime Twist

**Author's Note:**

  * For [frozensea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozensea/gifts).



Rose slouched against the cave wall, still groggy. Whatever sedatives the First Order interrogation droids had used on her clearly took a long time to wear off. She opened her eyes to see a crisp silhouette, outlined by the soft, orange glow of the campfire. So it _hadn't_ been a fever dream caused by the crap the droids had given her. She wanted to ask where the hell they were, why he was doing this, and about a hundred other things, but her tongue was numb and her mouth couldn't seem to form the right shapes for words.

"Ah, good, you're awake. I realise you're probably not feeling up to it just yet, but, um, I could really use your help. _Again_. I don't know how to fix a TIE fighter." He fidgeted with his sleeve, where the cuff had been torn, but she could make out the word 'Power' in standard Aurebesh. A lieutenant, then. _Curiouser and curiouser._ "I don't have anything to counteract the effects," he said with an awkward, apologetic smile, "but this should ease some of the symptoms until the drugs are out of your system." If Rose had been able to speak she'd have told him, in no uncertain terms, that she'd rather take her chances drinking her own piss than anything a _First Order officer_ gave her. Or at least she would have done if he didn't pour himself a cup from the flask first and gulp it down right in front of her. When he offered her another cup she gestured to the one he'd used, and he nodded. He passed it over to her, and she saw, rather than felt, his hands tremble as her fingers brushed his scuffed leather gloves.

"My name's Dopheld," he offered, as if Rose didn't realise that First Order lieutenants had names. She was struck by how young he looked. How _normal._ He was the kind of man she could picture in a crowded Coruscant restaurant, or mining ore back on Hays Minor. Handsome, but not striking. He'd have made a decent spy, if looks alone were enough. Maybe he _was_ a spy.

She brought the cup to her lips, and took a careful sip. It was, she reluctantly admitted to herself, the best caf she'd ever tasted - dark, rich and velvety, with chocolate and caramel notes. Usually Rose preferred strong black tea, but she could make an exception for this. As she drank, her senses began to stir and sharpen, though she doubted she'd be in any shape to fix a TIE fighter for a while.

"I'm Rose," she said, when her tongue stopped feeling sluggish and too big for her mouth.

"I know. You're quite famous." She frowned at him, or thought she did. It was still a little tricky to move her eyebrows.

"What?"

"Oh, um…" He paused, looking a little sheepish as he picked at a loose thread on his cuff. "Holovid footage from the _Supremacy_ made the rounds among the _Finalizer's_ stormtroopers, and then the officers caught wind of it. It was really _something_ , standing up to General Hux like that-"

"Wait. Are you talking about when I bit that ginger weasel?" Dopheld laughed, but his eyes darted around as if he half-expected someone to appear and report him for it...rather than for freeing a prisoner and stealing one of the new prototype TIE fighters.

"Yes. It was inspiring." Well, if that's all it took to persuade their officers to defect to the Resistance, she'd happily sink her teeth into dozens of First Order generals' prim and proper gloved fingers.

"You're a weird guy, Dopheld. But thanks for saving my skin. And probably my internal organs, too. Jury's still out on that one." In spite of the caf, Rose yawned, settling back into one of the cave's alcoves and wrapping her woolen poncho tight around her torso. As she began to drift off, she felt the gentle weight of a blanket draped across her chest.

The second time Rose woke it was nighttime. She didn't know the planet's precise rotation period, but if pressed for an estimate she would have said around three or four hours had passed. Dopheld was busying himself with an attempt to rekindle the fire, but his hands were shaking too badly and she could hear his teeth chattering from two metres away. She rolled her eyes when it dawned on her that he'd given her _both_ of the blankets they had with them, leaving himself exposed to the elements.

"Come here." Rose might be able to fix the TIE fighter, but she needed Dopheld to _fly_ the damn thing and he couldn't very well do that if he was suffering from hypothermia.

He half-walked, half-dragged himself to the recess in the cave wall, and Rose helped him nestle in beside her, wrapping the two blankets around them both after laying the thick, roughspun poncho on the cold ground beneath them. She'd often huddled close to Kaydel or Beaumont during the missions they'd been together on over the last few months, but that had been different. Dopheld was nearly a stranger _and_ a First Order lieutenant - albeit one who'd saved her from the seemingly inevitable fate of a torture rack. She rummaged around in her pockets, careful not to jostle him too much as his head lolled against her shoulder.

"Can you eat?" She unwrapped the ration bar, dividing it into smaller pieces. "This should give you a boost, help with your blood sugar levels." He chewed slowly and, as awkward as it was to stare at someone as they ate, she was relieved to see that Dopheld was able to swallow without assistance. He was pale (almost as pale as _Hux,_ even) but there was no deathly blue tinge to his lips, and when he spoke his speech was punctuated by the clinking of his teeth, but not slurred - all good signs.

"I don't think I've _ever_ consumed so much sugar before in my life." Rose chuckled, trying to keep her shoulders from shaking too much.

"Yeah. Sorry, I have a bit of a sweet tooth." It was probably a bit of a shock to his taste buds - from what Finn had told her about his time as a stormtrooper, it didn't exactly sound like the First Order canteen had a dessert menu.

"I kind of liked it, actually."

"Just wait. Once we're out of here I'll take you for beebleberry ice cream. Okay...maybe ice cream isn't the _most_ appealing idea right now." When he looked for a moment as if he might nod off, Rose reached over and gently squeezed his hand. He was probably exhausted, and she sympathised. But she also needed him to stay awake right now, or she'd have no way to monitor his condition. "There are a _lot_ of other options. Choclime twist - that's the flavour of that ration bar you just _devoured_ , by the way - is pretty great, and of course there's nothing wrong with a good plain chocolate…" She didn't mind when Dopheld nuzzled into the crook of her neck, because he was listening, and because it felt nice enough that she resolved to go through her entire internal catalogue of desserts if it got them both through this. Even if her stomach was _already_ rumbling.


End file.
